The Biden White House has canceled its annual iftar banquet, traditionally held in conjunction with Muslims in government, community leaders, and members of the diplomatic corps to break their Ramadan fast during an evening meal. The event is said to have been nixed after Muslim Americans declined invitations in protest over Biden’s support for Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza.
“The American Muslim community said very early on that it would be completely unacceptable for us to break bread with the very same White House that is enabling the Israeli government to starve and slaughter the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the deputy director of the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations told the Qatar-owned Al Jazeera.
In an effort to adapt to the situation, plans changed to include a smaller meal for Muslim government staffers and a separate meeting for Muslim community leaders. However, even this reduced gathering faced criticism. Dr. Thaer Ahmad, a Palestinian American doctor, walked out in protest of being the only Palestinian present.
Biden’s backing from the Muslim community, a significant voting demographic for Democrats, has precipitously declined since the Israeli offensive against Palestinians in Gaza began last year.
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